Mike McQueary, under a barrage of criticism for not doing enough to prevent Jerry Sandusky allegedly raping a boy in a locker room shower in 2002, claims he did stop the former Penn State defensive coordinator and then contacted police.
His claims, which appeared in an email to a former classmate obtained by the Associated Press on Tuesday, contradict a grand jury report that states a graduate assistant — later identified as McQueary — witnessed the abuse then left to ask his father for advice.
The report adds it was not until the next day that he told Penn State coach Joe Paterno about what he saw.
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In the email, McQueary wrote, “I did stop it, not physically, but made sure it was stopped when I left that locker room.
“No one can imagine my thoughts or wants to be in my shoes for those 30-45 seconds,” he added. “Trust me.”
McQueary also wrote he “did have discussions with police and with the official at the university in charge of police” following the alleged incident and added that it was unfair he was “getting hammered for handling this the right way or what I thought at the time was right.”
The email builds on reports late Monday that McQueary had said he made sure the abuse ceased.
The email also contradicts McQueary’s testimony in a grand jury report in two ways. First, the report never says that he went to the police. Secondly, it specifically says that he left the shower area “immediately, distraught.”
CBS had promoted an exclusive interview with McQueary for Tuesday evening, but the report revealed little.
“This process has to play out. I just don’t have anything else to say at all,” McQueary said.
The 67-year-old Sandusky, who is accused in a 40-count indictment of sexually abusing eight boys over a period of 15 years, told NBC News’ Bob Costas Monday night that McQueary’s account of what he saw was “false.”
Sandusky admitted he “shouldn’t have showered with those kids” — but maintained he was innocent of the charges that have rocked the university.